Hi! My name is Aimee Wegescheide, the current Semi Arid intern at ECHO. My story begins on a hobby farm in rural Missouri, filled with many animals, plants, and a loving Christian family. In undergrad, I studied at College of the Ozarks and completed a degree in Conservation and Wildlife Management, with minors in Field Biology, Agriculture, and Studio Art. After college I felt called to use my interest in agriculture on the mission field, and God allowed me to serve in Uganda with the African Children’s Mission for three months. This time was a huge blessing but also a wake-up call that I needed some training in tropical agriculture!

Before my acceptance to ECHO, I attended Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for Master’s level classes. Then, in January of 2013 I arrived at the ECHO campus!

My time at ECHO thus far has been the best year of my life. I’ve learned an amazing amount of tropical plant identification and uses, and am experiencing an incredible Christian community of people. One of the highlights has been learning about grafting several species of tropical trees in the production nursery and even seeing one of my first grafts sold in the retail nursery. Teaching people overseas grafting techniques could impact their lives in an amazing way! Producing their own fruit trees could provide income and much needed nutrition in diets. Another highlight of my time at ECHO has been the educational seminars that interns attend weekly where we have studied a wide array of topics including beekeeping, community development, water purification, cookstoves and vermicomposting, just to name a few.

As this exciting year comes to an end, the question of, “What’s next?” is heavy on my mind. I have a strong desire to minister to people through agriculture and to use my interests and education to glorify God. I am confident that the time and education that ECHO has invested in me will be used by God for the rest of my life, no matter where He leads me next.

ECHO

Reducing Hunger, Improving Lives, Worldwide

ECHO is much more than a farm! Founded in 1981, we are an agricultural support agency to the world. ECHO resources include a large knowledge base of specialized information, technical support based on years of experience, and an extensive seedbank focused on highly beneficial, underutilized plants. We work to identify, validate, document and disseminate best practices in sustainable agriculture and appropriate technology. ECHO creates opportunities for community leaders to network with one another to share experiences, ideas and solutions.